Which presents does Santa bring in your house?

[duke748]

Me and DP are having an argument disagreement about which presents Santa is responsible for.

He thinks that Santa buys and brings all the presents for kids except the ones from relatives.

I think that Santa is responsible for the stocking only and any presents under the tree are from Mum and Dad and family.

Who is right? And does the kids' age matter? ie his way when they are young and my way once they are old enough to question why Mum and Dad haven't bought them anything?

What happens in your house?

LauraS - FC has been known to get (small) things which I have vetoed as being too "silly" or "a waste of money" and cram them into stockings

FC always brings too much chocolate - but does also provide toothbrush and toothpaste.

Father Christmas /Santa only brings the gifts from us (me and Dh), DS knows that the others are from Relatives, so thanks them in turn.

Father Christmas only brings the stocking in this house (which will contain little bits and pieces, book, hairclips, chocolate, mini bubble bath, that sort of thing). DCs will have one "main" present from us under the tree, plus one other present (which will be clothing,) also from us. Plus all the presents from friends and relatives will be under the tree (and will be saved to open in their presence if we will be seeing them at any time over the Christmas period.)

Santa brings the stockings, leaves the Smartie trail down the stairs ,leading to one big main present downstairs. ( this year bike for DS, SyLvanian schoolhouse and stuff for DD ). Santa has his own special gift tags and swirly writing. DS wrote Santa a note last year just before he fell asleep on Christmas Eve wishing him a Happy Christmas. Fortunately, we saw it and did a swirly lettered missive back. DS (8) sleeps with it by his bed every night.

Everything else is from who it says on the present ( eg we get the DC smaller presents like board games, annuals etc ).

Ahhhh - I wanted to do a chocolate coin trail down the stairs last year but Mr S very sensibly pointed out that the dog would eat them and then we would have a very different special surprise to sort out in the morning

Santa brings the stocking and one big present each and the rest are from the person who bought them. That's how my parents did it too.

Santa brings stockings with silly little things. Opened when they wake up.
Mum + Dad do the main pressies to be put under the tree. These are opened after Christmas lunch.
All other presents are opened when the relatives give them.

This works for us, the kids get something to rush downstairs for and still have something to look forward to. Extended family aren't always seen on Christmas Day.

Santa also brings dp and me a stocking, because we're adults it's joint and not much stuff. Champagne and belgium chocs, makes a nice breakfast

Fc does stockings and one 'tree' present here. This year ds (5) is getting a ds game and dd (15m) is getting a megablocks farm thing.

Fc does tell everyone what to buy for the kids though and decides whether or not they have been good enough to deserve it.

Reading this thread has convinced me to step up my campaign to force show DP what a wonderful thing reproducing will be. I can't wait to do all this sort of thing!

FC brings stockings for DH, DS and myself, then DS' presents from us are split so he has a couple from us and a couple from FC. (FC also has his own special wrapping paper which is different to anyone else's!)

DH and I also get a large selection box between us from FC

When I was younger our stocking and all toys/games came from FC, and we had a couple of books/videos from our parents.

I agree though that family tell FC what they'd like him to bring for DS and if he deserves it.

Santa fills the stockings and that is all in this house. Mostly sweets, with maybe a pair of tights, book and little toy.

We give the bigger presents.

FC does stockings for everyone (well except DCat who hates Christmas apart from the fires and having the heating turned up) in this house. He buys me and DH fun kitchen stuff, normally, plus socks, chocolate, etc and a few silly toys which generally end up in the DC's rooms.

FC does stockings and bigger presents in our house, i buy them one thing each from dh and i and relitives give presents (only a couple though as only a small family), I do tell dd1 that we give fc the money for the bigger presents (not the stockings) just so she knows she cant have everything she wants and she understands why not everyone gets the amount she gets (and some get more).

Glad to see I'm not the only one on here who has told their DCs that FC is a bit like the postman, and brings presents that people you know have bought you.

I vividly remember saying this on a similar thread last year and being flamed!

DD is only 2 (and DS isn't even here yet, although he has a stocking waiting for him on Christmas Day), so we won't have to really deal with these questions for another year or so, but I'm fairly sure that FC brings the stockings in this house, Mum and Dad give a main present and relatives bring other presents. During the years when they won't really notice how much things cost and believe in Santa, I can see us buying lots of little toys and other things for the stocking, but a relatively low-cost main present, but gradually switch it round as they get older so that we spend more on their main present, but the stocking becomes more of a token effort iyswim.

But I can easily imagine that DD will be much more excited this year about the new tub of Playdoh (95p) in her stocking than she will be (at first) about the £50 scooter that Mummy and Daddy have bought.......

This issue is keeping me awake at night

I was going with stocking (well, sack) and all presents from us are from FC. To be put in their rooms late night Christmas eve.
All presents from other ppl to be put under tree on Christmas eve after DCs bedtime. They've seen all these presents (wrapped) because nobody in our families actually sees us at Christmas and there is a massive Pre Christmas exchange of gifts. So now the office is full to the brim with presents and dh doesn't keep the bloody door shut so 3 yo ds has seen these.

But I am wavering now.
I would like the FC sack as before, but I'm considering putting one or two things from us under the tree too. Partly to spread out the unwrapping and partly because then I can keep the method consistent over time IYSWIM.

Well aware that I am over thinking this btw. But I'd appreciate some help

Also, does it matter that ds has seen these other gifts already??

In a state.

FC brings one gift here. It is never wrapped and always appears near/on the table where the mince our and drink is left. It is unboxed and ready to use. There is often a trace of magic elf dust. Dd is 11y now and it is still happens :)

I think I like what treats is doing.
But as I've revived a zombie thread I don't expect het to comment.

Ds is 2 so haven't thought this through yet. I like stocking from father Christmas idea and rest from who bought them incl us. Thing is, I don't think it matters too much. I don't remember questioning any of the stuff we were told or even if we were told who brings what. I distinctly remember being in bath Xmas eve as a 5 year old and hearing sleigh bells though.

He brings presents which go in the stocking (which is actually a festive pillowcase - legacy of the days when they were even cheap presents were big and bulky. Slightly regret that now!). A combination of the practical (toothpaste and mouthwash, socks), the silly (finger lights and whoopee cushions), books and a couple of bigger things from their lists. Bulking them out this year are dressing gowns. So he's pretty generous and the stockings are a big deal. Then I give them one biggish present and some books under the tree.

It's not the way my family did it - inherited from my ex when we spent Christmas with his siblings who had older children. It works for now, but when my nieces and nephews are old enough to notice I see trouble ahead as both my SILs have totally different ways of doing it in their families (one doesn't do stockings and everything comes from FC under the tree, one does just a tiny stocking)

mumteedum

It's hard because they're are so many bastard presents. Ppl buy so much when your DCs are small.
I can't guarantee to keep everything hidden before C Eve.
I want them to be able to open some things first thing. But to wait for some others.
I don't think it matters that other ppl do it differently, they don't seem to rumble that.

FC brings stocking presents, plus other presents too big for stocking (From letter to santa plus surprises). Then under the tree are the pressies from mummy & daddy . No real rationale as to what surprises come from us and which come from Santa. We're just lucky that Santa has never brought anything that we've got for DS and vice versa